DGCA sacks Mumbai air traffic controller after near-miss on runway

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has acted swiftly to remove a Mumbai-based air traffic control officer (ATCO) from his duty roster following a potentially devastating incident involving two aircraft on the same runway.

The incident took place at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) on June 8. In the early hours of Saturday, IndiGo flight 5053, arriving from Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport (IDR), landed on runway 27 while Air India flight 657 was still about to take off for Thiruvananthapuram International Airport (TRV).

Both flights involved Airbus A320neo aircraft. The proximity of landing and takeoff created a dangerous situation that could have led to a serious accident.

The immediate response of the DGCA to remove the affected air traffic controller from his duty roster reflects the seriousness of the incident and the importance attached to maintaining strict safety standards in flight operations.

An investigation is currently underway to understand the circumstances that led to this breach of protocol and to take measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

“Mumbai and Delhi airports are high intensification airports that handle about 46 flights per hour. Air traffic controllers are responsible for the safe arrival and departure of aircraft and passengers. In the viral video, visibility appears to be quite good. If there is adequate safety through visual observation, the minimum separation distances can be reduced. In this incident, it appeared that the departing aircraft had already reached speed B2 and was travelling nose up while the incoming aircraft was touching down on runway 27. The case is currently under investigation,” said Alok Yadav, general secretary of the Air Traffic Controllers Union of India.

After reviewing the footage recorded and widely shared on social media, it appeared that the Air India flight was accelerating on the runway while the IndiGo flight was descending to the ground.

As the A320neo approached, the Air India plane managed to take off, presumably without noticing the other plane approaching from behind, and was able to take off without incident.

However, IndiGo stated after the incident: “On June 8, IndiGo flight 6E 6053 from Indore was cleared to land by Air Traffic Control at Mumbai Airport. The pilot-in-command continued the approach and landing, following the instructions of Air Traffic Control.

At IndiGo, passenger safety is our top priority and we have reported the incident as per procedure.”